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Celebrating the success stories in teaching and learning at Mizzou
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Presidential sCHOlar Corey Matzat hits the ground running at Mizzou
A new memorial, located in Memorial Union, honors MU
students who have died serving their country. The memorial
was designed by Karen Johnson (pictured), a senior architectural studies major. Johnson’s design
features five columns with the sixth column missing,
representing the missing soldiers.
Photo by Angela Pearson
this year, we celebrate the 175th anniversary of the founding of the University of Missouri. MU was the first public university west of the Mississippi River and was shaped by Thomas Jefferson’s ideals about public education. While some things have changed in 175 years, the ideals set forth by Jefferson and the founders of MU still serve as our guide and our vision. What has made the University of Missouri special throughout its 175-year history are the people—the students, faculty, advisers, staff, alumni and administrators. In the previous issues of MIZZOU ENDEAVORS
we have set out to celebrate the people of MU. This issue is no different. In the pages that follow, you’ll read about Corey Matzat, who scored a perfect 36 on his ACT, was named a Presidential Scholar, has run in the Disney half-marathon and is now pursing his computer engineering degree at Mizzou. We share the story about a program called A Way with Words & Numbers, which provides our students an opportunity to interact with elementary students, to improve the math and reading skills of these young children. This issue also introduces you to some of our outstanding faculty members who have been recognized for making a difference in the classroom. Mizzou is a worldwide university as is evident by programs such as the Peace Corps Prep Program and MU Global Connect. We showcase those programs and profile Grace McNamee and Lisette Rossman, who are expanding their horizons by studying abroad this year. The University of Missouri is a special place with special people and it is with great pleasure that we share a few stories about those who make MU such an exceptional place.
Happy Anniversary, Mizzou! GO TIGERS!
Jim SpainVice Provost for Undergraduate [email protected]@MUJimSpain
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From the desk of
the Vice Provost in this issue...Balancing academics, athletics... and more .... 2Kate Gallagher is a busy person and she would not want it any other way.
Presidential Honor ........................................ 3Presidential Scholar Corey Matzat becomes a Tiger.
Cherry Pick ..................................................... 4Mizzou professor Meera Chandrasekhar receives national award for exceptional teaching.
inspired to travel ........................................... 5Lisette Rossman finds comfort when she reaches outside of her comfort zone.
in the headlines ............................................. 6What’s new in undergraduate studies?
Connecting to the world ............................... 8Julia Moore expands her horizons through MU Global Connect.
innovative educators .................................... 9MU honors teaching with technology.
Giving & receiving ...................................... 10Students find the gift of giving through A Way With Words & Numbers.
Keeping the Peace ....................................... 11Mizzou announces new program to prepare students for volunteer service in international development.
studying Mr. darcy: then & now ................ 12Grace McNamee’s study of Pride and Prejudice takes her to England.
facebook.com/MizzouUndergraduateStudies
@MizzouUGStudies
Cover photo: Last year Corey Matzat was named a Presidential Scholar. This year he is adjusting to college life as a freshman at Mizzou. Read his story on page 3 of this issue of MIZZOU ENDEAVORS. [Photo by Naveen Mahadevan]
Mizzou Endeavors is produced by the Office of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Missouri. This publication was edited by Josh Murray, with assistance from Stephanie Hiquiana, Angela Pearson and Skyler Huff.
Office of Undergraduate StudiesUniversity of Missouri128 Jesse HallColumbia, MO 65211
Volume 2 - Issue 1Fall 2014
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When Kate Gallagher was a freshman at Mizzou she was told that there were three “S’s” of college—school, sleep and social life— and that she needed to pick two. Instead, she added a fourth. “I threw in sports,” she says. Gallagher, a senior finance major from Savannah, Mo., maintains her four “S’s” while also running a student business which she helped create. In addition to keeping a 4.0 grade-point average, Gallagher is the co-founder Quirks, a consignment shop housed in the MU Student Center that caters to the local crafting community. Selling one-of-a-kind Mizzou coasters, necklaces and original canvas art, Quirks serves as a creative outlet for crafters, designers and other entrepreneurs. Gallagher and three other students collaborated to develop the idea for the store. They presented their business plan to the Missouri Student Unions Entrepreneurial Program and were granted space for the 2013-14 school year.
“We would like to see it continue after we graduate, whether we own it or it is something the university picks up,” Gallagher says. Her responsibilities with the store include issuing financial statements, paying cosigners and handling purchases, along with other day-to-day operations. Outside of school and her time at Quirks, Gallagher has found success on the golf course as a member of the MU women’s golf team. “I’ve been playing in tournaments since I was six,” she says. In 2011 and 2012, Gallagher was named an All-American Scholar and served as a representative at the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum. She is also the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Her work with athletics spans beyond being an athlete, as Gallagher spent last summer as an intern with the MU athletic business office. Gallagher also manages to make time to serve the community. “The community around here has given me so much. I think it’s only fair I give back,” says Gallagher, who serves on the executive planning committee for the Boys and Girls Club annual Rootin’-Tootin’ Chili Cookoff. Gallagher recognizes the role of mentors who have influenced her and helped her become the leader she is today. As she looks forward to life after Mizzou, Gallagher says she would like to work in collegiate athletics and become a mentor for other student-athletes.
Story and photos by Anglea Pearson
Kate Gallagher is a busyperson and she would not want
it any other way.
Balancing academics, athletics ... and more
Items that can be founds
at Quirks include Mizzou
Christmas ornaments, coffee mugs
and necklaces.
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Mizzou student Corey Matzat hit the ground running in 2013. He joined his family in Florida to complete the Walt Disney World Half Marathon, which began at Epcot Center, traveled through the Magic Kingdom and concluded back at Epcot in the shadow of Spaceship Earth, where each recipient received a medal. It was Matzat’s first half-marathon and the second-most-impressive medal he’d earn in 2013. The more significant award came in June, when U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan awarded Matzat a Presidential Scholars medal. The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has honored more than 6,000 of the nation’s top-performing high school seniors since it was created in 1964. Last year Matzat was one of more than 3,300 high school seniors invited to apply for the award. He completed an extensive application, wrote essays and submitted grades and test scores. Then, he waited. “I was nervously and hopefully waiting for a while,” he says. The call finally came just a week before graduation. He was one of 141 students in the United States selected for the recognition. For a week in June, this year’s class of Presidential Scholars convened in Washington, D.C., where they toured several monuments in the nation’s capital and heard from various speakers, many of whom were previous Presidential Scholars. The medallion ceremony concluded the week.
“It was just an incredible experience,” says Matzat, who also met with Missouri Senators Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt and received a guided tour of the U.S. Capitol. Matzat, who scored a perfect 36 on the ACT, added the Presidential Scholars award to a multitude of honors. He was the valedictorian for Branson High School and the top male graduate in the state of Missouri. Matzat is no stranger to Mizzou. He attended the Missouri Scholars
Academy in 2011 and last year was part of the Branson School High Scholar Bowl team that advanced to the state competition, which was held on the MU campus. “Our team was actually pretty good,” Matzat says. “It was the first time in our school’s history that we advanced to state. We weren’t able to make it into the finals, but the experience was really rewarding.” Matzat’s visits to the University of Missouri made his choice for college easy. “By the end of the Missouri Scholars Academy,” Matzat says, “I was pretty well determined to come to Mizzou.” The career field that Matzat would pursue seemed obvious to those who knew him as a kid. “One of my favorite toys when I was growing up was Legos,” Matzat says. “I always liked building things out of Legos, and so everyone always told me that I should be an engineer.” Add that to the fact that his parents introduced him to computers as soon as he was able to handle a keyboard and mouse, and computer engineering seems like a perfect major for the first-year MU student from Nixa, Mo. Making the adjustments to college has been smooth, and Matzat already is involved with Fellowship of Christian Engineers and the Association of Computer Machinery, where he has joined a sub group that focuses on iOS (Apple’s mobile operating system) development. “It’s been an interesting transition,” he says. “I’m just making sure I am managing everything well and staying organized. It’s basically just been a process of getting used to a new routine and a new place.” Despite his busy schedule, Matzat has managed to find his way to Albert Oakland Park in Columbia for a few rounds of disc golf. Over the summer, Matzat was introduced to the sport; it’s similar to golf, but instead of trying to hit a ball into a hole, players toss flying discs into baskets. “I played at least every other night this past summer,” he says. “I haven’t been able to play as much since I’ve been here, but I plan to find more opportunities to get out and play.” Disc golf is just one of the activities on Matzat’s list of hobbies. He and his parents, Eric and Cynthia Matzat, always have had an affinity for the outdoors — camping at Big Springs near Van Buren, Mo., and hiking the Pedestal Rocks Loop Trail in northwest Arkansas. The Disney marathon was a new adventure for the family. “There were so many people there.” Matzat says. “We really were able to draw energy from the crowd. It was a lot more fun than I expected.” Now part of the Mizzou family, Matzat suspects that the fun has just begun.
By Josh Murray
Presidential Honor
Presidential Scholar Corey Matzat
becomes a Tiger.
Corey Matzat with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at the medallion ceremony.
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Cherry PickBy Josh Murray
Mizzou professor Meera Chandrasekhar receives nationalaward for exceptional teaching.
In January, a University of Missouri professor claimed the only national teaching award presented by a college or university to an individual for exceptional teaching. Meera Chandrasekhar, a Curators’ Teaching Professor of Physics and Astronomy at MU was named the recipient of the 2014 Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching, given by Baylor University. Chandrasekhar receives $250,000 and will teach in residence at Baylor during the spring 2015 semester. “I am humbled to join the illustrious group of teaching scholars who received the award before me,” Chandrasekhar says. “The appreciation of excellence in teaching and associated learning has been growing over the past couple of decades. I am fortunate to be in such a profession.” In addition to her award, MU’s department of physics and astronomy will receive $25,000. “Every exceptional teacher that I have met is a lover of learning—their own, and that of others; their love for learning extends well beyond their particular field of expertise,” Chandrasekhar says. “The remarkable thing about teaching is that it enriches the learner as well as the teacher.”
Chandrasekhar joined the MU faculty in 1978. Her teaching and research has been recognized with many honors, including the 2006 President’s Award for Outstanding Teaching from the University of Missouri, 1998 Missouri Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and 1997 William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence.
She was honored in 2002 with the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Indian Institute of Technology, received an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship in 1985 and was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 1992. Chandrasekhar has a strong interest in the education of young students and has developed hands-on physics programs for students in grades 5-12 and summer institutes for K-12 teachers, activities for which she has received several awards. Her research interests are in the area of optical spectroscopy of semiconductors, superconductors and conjugated polymers, with an emphasis on high pressure studies. As a Cherry Award finalist, Chandrasekhar visited the Baylor campus in October 2013 to present a lecture titled “Blind to Polarization: What Humans Cannot See.” She also presented that lecture this fall on the MU campus. “One expects to see physics in a scientific lab and in technology, but I particularly love to talk about science in everyday life, photography, nature and art,” Chandrasekhar says, while discussing the topic for her lecture. “My research is in the field of optics, and I wanted to select a topic within optics that was around us all the time, but perhaps not recognized. The polarization of light, while a somewhat specialized phenomenon, is one such topic.” Chandrasekhar earned her bachelor of science degree in physics and mathematics from M.G.M. College at Mysore University in India, in 1968. She earned master’s degrees in physics from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, India, in 1970 and Brown University in 1973, and a PhD in physics from Brown University in 1976. The Cherry Award was created by Robert Foster Cherry, who earned his A.B. from Baylor in 1929. With a deep appreciation for how his life had been changed by significant teachers, he made an estate bequest to establish the Cherry Award program to recognize excellent teachers and bring them in contact with Baylor students. The inaugural Robert Foster Cherry Award was presented in 1991 and is now awarded biennially. “Dr. Chandrasekhar is an internationally known teacher and scholar who combines an impressive academic record with a stellar reputation for the extraordinary impact she has had on undergraduate and graduate students,” says Elizabeth Davis, PhD, executive vice president and provost at Baylor. “We congratulate her on this award, and we look forward to welcoming her to Baylor University.” The other finalists for the 2014 Cherry Award were Joan Breton Connelly, a professor of classics and art history at New York University, and Michael Salemi, a professor emeritus of economics at the University of North Carolina.
Meera Chandrasekhar
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By Josh Murray
MU junior lisette rossman finds comfort when she reaches outside of her comfort zone.
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely
on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating
in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” – Mark Twain
The Mark Twain quotation has served as inspiration for Mizzou junior Lisette Rossman to travel and explore the world. She will do just that this spring when she studies in Saarbrücken, Germany. Rossman has been awarded the MU Stipendium for German Studies, which is a scholarship co-sponsored by the department of German Studies and the College of Arts and Sciences. She will attend the Universität des Saarlandes, where she will start with a month-long introductory class for international students. Following that class, she will be fully immersed into classes with the German students. “I hope this experience will further increase my desire for knowledge regarding foreign cultures,” says Rossman, who is a double major in German studies and strategic communications. “I hope that my immersion experience will allow me to understand the German language on a deeper level.”
Inspired toTravel
Rossman already speaks French and is working to become fluent in German. She hopes to be fluent in four languages by the time she turns 30. “What I hope for the most is that I am challenged and really pushed to my breaking point,” she says. “I think those are the moments that are the most rewarding because real learning comes at the edge of one’s comfort zone.” Rossman is not new to overseas educational environments. She went to elementary and middle school in Geneva, Switzerland, before returning to the United States to attend high school in Cincinnati. She chose to come to Mizzou in part because of the MU School of Journalism, but also for the chance to forge a new path. “There is something so exciting about going somewhere that is completely unfamiliar,” Rossman says. “I think it teaches you a lot about yourself and what you are capable of in terms of making it on your own.”
“There is something so exciting about going
somewhere that is completely unfamiliar. I think it teaches you a lot about yourself and what you are capable
of in terms of making it on your own.”
- Lisette Rossman
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in the headlines...enhanced portfolios Senior-level university courses often include some type of portfolio that displays the soon-to-be graduate’s most-impressive work. Often times, those have come in the form of a three-ring binder. Times are changing, says Dale Fitch, an assistant professor of social work at MU. The three-ring binders are being replaced by electronic portfolios (ePortfolios). “Data that is on a piece of paper is essentially dead,” Fitch says. “In order to manipulate it, you have to rewrite or keystroke it into a spreadsheet.” That is not the case for ePortfolios, which are now incorporated into the curriculum for social work students at MU. The key advantage of ePortfolios is the ability to update and manipulate the body of work. The modification process allows students to utilize other sources of knowledge from additional courses and field experiences in order to adequately and accurately reflect on knowledge gained from their initial course. “Reworking or revising old assignments is an effective way to compare and contrast skills gained over time,” Fitch says. Fitch asks his students to reflect on the course at the beginning of the semester and then again at the end of the semester so they can reflect back on what they have learned. “When they get to their last semester, they are reflecting on their reflections and it is captured in the product of the ePortfolio,” Fitch says.
Eugenia Nathan, Kristi Stringer and Chelsey Krankeola work the front desk at the Academic Exploration and Advising Services Office. The Campus Augmenting Student Hires (CASH) program aids in funding their positions.
students cash in Since it began in 2010, the Campus Augmenting Student Hires (CASH) program has led to more than $3.3 million in earnings for MU students. In the program, campus departments hire students for on-campus jobs and CASH matches funds up to $500 per semester, making each job within the program eligible for a maximum of $1,000 per year. “It is a true win-win program,” says Amanda Nell, senior coordinator in the MU Career Center. “Departments add much-needed staff and talent to their teams, while students earn income and real-world experience and develop a supportive network of professional contacts.” The center partners with Student Affairs and Business Services on the program, which has created about 1,600 jobs.
More than 100 departments have utilized the program, including the department of classical studies, whose first CASH hire redesigned the department’s website. “Our first student was a godsend,” says Dennis Trout, chair of the department of classical studies. “He brought skills none of us really had.” In a recent survey of campus employers, 100 percent reported that they either “agree” or “strongly agree” that the programs and services that CASH hires contribute to are critical in nature to supporting their office. “With the CASH program and the financial help, we are able to hire more students,” says Lori Rowlett, the business manager for the Truman School of Public Affairs, which has three CASH positions.
“Our student workers help with a wide array of responsibilities ranging from database duties to Photoshop work to organizing departmental events.” In a survey of students in CASH positions, 88 percent felt their job provided general preparation for their future career and 81 percent indicated that they feel more connected to the university because of their part-time job. “The fact that they feel connected to the university is an important statistic when looking at student retention and satisfaction,” Nell says. “It is nice to get the financial break that CASH makes available,” Trout says. “However, the real benefit has been how easily we were able to find really competent and reliable help.” For more information on CASH, visit career.missouri.edu/cash.
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in the headlines...adventures in africa Zachariah Winkler heard a large animal’s cry of agony pierce the African night sky. Crackling howls from a pack of hyenas quickly followed, leaving the rest of the desert frozen in fear. Winkler stared into the pitch-black that surrounded his campsite at Lake Turkana as he soaked in this particular evening. That was just one of the many unforgettable moments he would experience on his field study in Kenya. When Winkler first signed up for a summer field school in Africa, he knew he would be exposed to exceptional hands-on learning experiences and data collection, but he never guessed his seven-week term in Africa would cause him to fall in love with anthropology all over again. Winkler is a senior at MU majoring in anthropology and is a McNair Scholar. He is specifically interested in the skeletal
evolution of humans and closely related species. As an undergraduate researcher through the department of pathology and anatomical sciences, Winkler is focusing on locomotor adaptations in primates and humans. His current research project is on the ilium, or hipbone, orientation of a variety of primate species and humans. “My favorite aspect of it would be that I am studying the mechanisms that govern evolution in learning the relationships between ecology, locomotion and anatomy,” he says. “As for its relation to humans, that just draws home the feeling of your research truly mattering.” Winkler’s mentor, Carol Ward, has helped him in his preparations for graduate school along with the McNair Scholars Program, which also funds his research.
Zachariah Winkler
Winkler and his mentor are in the writing stage for publication. His goal is to be published at least two to three times in academic journals before starting graduate school. His current research project has already been published in McNair Journal, a journal published by MU’s McNair Scholars Program that is given to different schools and professors in their respective fields. “It’s a pretty big deal to be published in an academic journal,” Winkler says. “That’s one of the big things graduate schools care about.” Winkler’s time in Kenya also gives him a competitive edge in research because of the hands on learning experience he gained. “While doing research, they taught us all the methods to excavate and how to preserve
a specimen, how to take data on where you find a fossil specimen and different surveying techniques,” Winkler says.
For more information or to submit
suggestions forconcurrent sessions, visit:
celebration.missouri.eduMay 20-22, 2014
Open to ALL instructors, advisers and staff#CelebrateMizzou
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MU Global Connect is a new interdisciplinary undergraduate certificate that is already having an impact on students. While the certificate aims to prepare students for a new global reality, those pursuing it are finding the certificate opens them up to new topics. Julia Moore, an honors student and junior at Mizzou, has found unexpected benefits in her pursuit of the Global Connect certificate. Moore is a health sciences major and initially started the certificate because of the overlap in credits she has acquired for her degree. “The courses sounded interesting and different than my normal chemistry, biology and other health-related classes,” Moore says. The 15-credit hour certificate is designed to help students gain the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in the global job market. The certificate requires an introductory seminar, two elective courses, experiential learning and a concluding seminar. According to Moore, the most challenging part has been keeping track of everything going on around the world. The classes taught Moore that there are many events happening in all parts of the world that easily go unnoticed.
Connectingto theWorld
Julia Moore expands her
horizons through MU
Global Connect.
By Stephanie Hiquiana
Monika Fischer, the program’s facilitator, intends for students to gain knowledge both in the classroom and on a personal experiential level. “I believe strongly in providing students an opportunity for a global learning experience so they can be committed citizens in the global community,” Fischer says. “It is more than just learning about global issues, it is about experiencing them.” Moore is studying in Ireland this semester to fulfill the experiential learning requirement of the certificate. “I’ll be living with other people that aren’t just from Ireland and the U.S.,” Moore says. “I hope that I can not only get the Ireland perspective, but perspectives from other countries and cultures, as well.” In addition, Moore hopes the combination of her experience abroad and the certificate will be applicable to her health sciences degree and future career as a physician assistant. “It will help me with treating patients,” Moore says. “Because of the classes, I can appreciate and better understand global patients and other health care systems.” Since the certificate is a relatively new addition to the Mizzou curriculum, many students are not aware of its multiple benefits. The Global Connect certificate provided a chance for Moore to continue learning about and experiencing the world while she works on her degree at Mizzou. Moore views the courses as a welcomed break from her typical science-focused classes. “It’s nice to branch away from my normal studies a little bit,” she says.
“Because of the classes, I can appreciate and better understand global patients and other health care systems.”- Julia Moore
MORE INFORMATION...cdig.missouri.edu/globalconnect
Julia Moore
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Two Mizzou professors were recently honored with the MU Excellence in Teaching with Technology Award for 2013. Newton D’Souza and Peter Motavalli join the names of other technologically innovative and creative educators who have received this award from Educational Technologies at Missouri (ET@MO). D’Souza, an associate professor in the department of architectural studies in the College of Human Environmental Sciences, uses multi-screen technology to connect with students both in the classroom and online. “I am not a technology person, but I like to work with technology,” D’Souza says. He challenges students to communicate and think critically in order to foster more interaction between online and onsite students. Wanting to add to the conventional Blackboard discussions, D’Souza searched for an alternative that would recreate a real classroom discussion. For me [the discussion board] didn’t have the spontaneity and it didn’t have the back-and-forth discussion,” D’Souza says. He first used multi-screen technology with Blackboard Collaborate and now uses Google Hangout to recreate a real discussion merging both online and onsite classrooms. With individual webcams on each computer, each student is able to see everyone in class. D’Souza replaced the use of a chalkboard with a tablet displaying his notes on the computer screen. D’Souza’s interest in using technology as an educational tool expands outside the classroom and into his research. He is currently exploring the use of Virtual Reality Learning Environment and how the interfaces of technology affect learning. His aim is to discover how different learners interact with technology according to their natural learning style. D’Souza is also researching the impact of new media on the creative process. As a part of his research, D’Souza partnered with Hallmark Cards, Inc. and led a team of interdisciplinary faculty to investigate how changes in media affects the creation and consumption of greeting cards to respond to a digital age user. “We are still analyzing the data and hopefully by next year we will have a better sense of how new media is affecting the creative process,” D’Souza says. The creative departments involved and international experts will analyze these data and publish in an international forum. Motavalli, a professor in the department of soil, environmental and atmospheric sciences in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR), integrates digital literacy assignments into his curriculum.
“Technology allows students to communicate to different audiences using a variety of media and explore both their immediate environment as well as the world around them,” Motavalli says. “It greatly expands the boundaries of the classroom.” Motavalli values technology in the classroom to enhance learning experiences, stimulate creativity and develop strong communication skills. “My concern was that our science-based curricula are not giving students adequate opportunity to write in various styles that they will need during their professional careers,” Motavalli says. He indicated that surveys conducted by the Campus Writing Program show that a majority of both former science and non-science majors agree that writing proficiency is a critical skill to be successful in the workforce. With this information in mind, Motavalli developed a Writing Intensive course. In Motavalli’s course, students write popular articles, research proposals, technical position papers, informal web blogs and even short pitches and later record them on camera in the CAFNR media lab or publish them in online forums such as wikis or web-based journals. His students also create MU campus environmental tours utilizing the Google My Tracks app and Google Maps. Students integrate photos and videos along the virtual tour to create a truly multimedia presentation. Motavalli is also working to develop web-based software that will facilitate and store information from student-based environmental projects conducted on the MU campus. The multidimensional technological teaching used by both Motavalli and D’Souza are just a few ways MU professors are being innovative educators.
By Angela Pearson
MU honors teaching with technology.
Peter Motavalli and Newton D’Souza were recognized with MU’s Excellence in Teaching with Technology Award in 2013.
Innovative Educators
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As a second year tutor with A Way With Words & Numbers, sophomore Holly Eschenbrenner has learned that tutoring is a process of give and take—and she is receiving much more from the program and her students than she ever expected. A Way With Words & Numbers is a community-based non-profit program that teams undergraduate students from MU with children in Columbia Public Schools. The goal is to help children in the Columbia area improve their reading and math skills, while providing an avenue for college students to become involved in service. Eschenbrenner has been a tutor for A Way With Words & Numbers for two years. She started tutoring as a freshman and her passion has grown with each semester.
“I’m an elementary education major so I get to be in schools anyway, but it’s a completely different role with A Way With Words & Numbers,” Eschenbrenner says. “It’s not like I’m here to just observe. I have a purpose to tutor these kids.” Eschenbrenner began as a math tutor for second grade students, but is currently a reading tutor at New Haven Elementary, which includes many students who speak English as a second language.
Through the use of charts, flash cards and other games, her students have been showing steady improvements on their alphabet skills. “I can’t imagine going to a school where the primary language is a different language than what I’ve known,” Eschenbrenner says. “I hope to help bridge that gap.” With close to 300 tutors, A Way With Words & Numbers manages its relationships with participating schools with graduate student site-coordinators and associate directors. Rebekah Hereth is a graduate student at Mizzou and an associate director for the program. Hereth says the program has been a great fit for her because it allows her to work closely with kids and the Columbia community as she pursues her Education Specialist degree in School Psychology. “It’s really rewarding to see the kids learning and growing in their academic skills, but we’re also seeing our tutors develop skills,” she says. Hereth often talks to current tutors who may have struggled with school in the past but are now turning around and helping kids that face similar challenges in school. Hereth emphasizes that Mizzou students from every major are welcome to apply. “We have people from journalism, chemistry and all sorts of different areas,” Hereth says. “They really add to the richness of our program—we all have different strengths.” Chad Cross is a site coordinator for A Way With Words & Numbers. He is currently working at Shepard Elementary. Initially, Cross had no interest in working in schools, but his experience with the program has made him reconsider. “I was just doing it for graduate school,” Cross says. “Eventually, the work I did with them changed my path and career because I enjoyed it so much.” Cross finished his Master’s in Sports Psychology and Career Counseling in May and is finishing his Education Specialist degree in School Counseling. For Hereth, Eschenbrenner and Cross, A Way With Words & Numbers has been an opportunity to gain experience working with kids and develop skills in teaching, time management and other characteristics highly valuable to future employers. “I really want to leave a legacy for the people that follow me,” Hereth says. “We keep records to make sure what we are doing is sustainable and efficient to help the program run as smoothly as possible.”
By Stephanie Hiquiana
students find the gift ofgiving through
a Way With Words & numbers.
Receiving&
Lauren McDaniels, a student at Paxton Keely Elementary School, reads with A Way With Words & Numbers tutor Jasmine Tilghman.
Giving
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MORE INFORMATION...peacecorpsprep.missouri.edu
Chancellor Emeritus Brady Deaton knows well the benefits of serving in the Peace Corps. Deaton is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, having served as a vocational agricultural educator in northern Thailand 1962–64. “It leads you to be stronger in whatever you are doing and leads you to approach the rest of your life with an incredible vigor to bring about change,” Deaton says. “It has enabled me to bring to my role as chancellor a real commitment to international work and to carry that mission forward.” A new Peace Corps Prep Program at Mizzou is evidence of that mission moving forward. The program is an undergraduate curriculum consisting of experience-based community service and selected courses designed to help prepare students for volunteer service in international development, potentially with the Peace Corps. Deaton signed an agreement with the Peace Corps establishing the program during a kickoff event Sept. 25 at MU’s Reynolds Alumni Center. “This is a great celebration for Mizzou,” Deaton says. “The Peace Corps gives us the opportunity to learn about the world in a new way. It allows us to see ourselves and our nation in a new way. It’s a wonderful time for reflecting and
Chancellor Emeritus Brady Deaton (right) prepares to sign the MOU while MU student Megan Cahill, National Peace Corps Association President Glenn Blumhorst and Peace Corps Associate Director Helen Lowman look on.
for gaining knowledge in ways that you cannot otherwise gain that knowledge.” The Mizzou Peace Corps Prep Program is the eighth of its kind in the United States, and MU is the largest U.S. university to implement the program. “One thing that has come across loud and clear is a real passion to make a difference at Mizzou,” says Helen Lowman, Peace Corps Associate Director of Volunteer Recruitment and Selection. “Whether it is working with a Boys and Girls Club or serving overseas, there is a feeling on this campus that is palpable. It is really part of the foundation of Mizzou.” MU’s Office of Service Learning will coordinate the Peace Corps Prep Program. In addition to an award from the Peace Corps, students who complete the curriculum will receive a minor in leadership and public service and MU’s multicultural certificate. “We are excited that our service-learning programs will support students earning such a prestigious award, which will prepare them for global service in the future,” says Anne-Marie Foley, director of the Office of Service Learning. The program’s 16-credit hour curricular structure includes nine credit hours of service learning, six credit hours of
cultural, leadership and public-policy courses selected from an approved list, and a one-hour “Global Service and the Peace Corps” seminar. The first seminar launched in January. “Mizzou currently has a successful partnership with the Peace Corps, housing a Peace Corps information office on campus and offering graduate programs through the Peace Corps Fellows program,” Foley says. “This new Peace Corps Prep award is an excellent addition to our curriculum and fits so well with our minor for leadership and public service. This is a great asset for our university and for students who have aspirations of global public service.”
Keeping the PeaceMizzou announces new program to
prepare students for volunteer service in international development.
By Josh Murray
Approximately 35 Mizzou alumni are currently serving in the Peace Corps in 22 countries across the globe, and more than 985 alumni have served since 1961, when the agency was created. More than 210,000 Americans of all backgrounds and ages have served in the Peace Corps in 139 countries around the world. “Peace Corps is very grateful for the contributions Mizzou graduates have made to communities across the globe and here at home” Lowman says. “We look forward to welcoming even more Mizzou graduates into the Peace Corps family.”
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Classic novels like Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice are still capturing the hearts of readers. For MU English major Grace McNamee, the British author is also her topic of research. Spending the 2013-14 academic year studying at Oxford University, McNamee has known since the age of 12 that English literature was her passion. “It really comes down to how much I love to read,” McNamee says. “Books explain people and their motives and the way they’ve changed throughout time. There’s never been a time in my life when I wasn’t curious about that.” McNamee’s research focuses on the popular central character Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice and how his image differs in recent reinventions. As a part of her research, McNamee learned there are more than 500 books that imitate the novel, expand on the characters afterlives or retell the story from a different perspective. “I’ve learned a lot about what does and doesn’t change over time,” McNamee says. “The recent imitation characters bear little resemblance.”
Her research perfectly correlates with the subject matter of her coursework. McNamee is enrolled in two classes, one related to Austen and the other regarding ancient Greek History. Each class is taught in a one-on-one tutorial format and requires extensive prior reading and a written 2,000 to 4,000-word essay for each tutorial. Despite the intense workload McNamee finds time to enjoy all that Europe has to offer. She
likes hearing from guest speakers, hanging out with friends and trying new activities such as spelunking. Along with her adventures in England, McNamee visited Seville, Spain, to reunite with her MU roommate who is also studying abroad. “It was a wonderful break as, unlike England, it was sunny and warm and we spent much of our time relaxing at outdoor cafes,” McNamee says. Once back in the States, McNamee, who is from Bethesda, Md., will finish her senior year at MU and apply for graduate programs and major fellowships.
By Angela PearsonStudyingMr. Darcy:
Then & Now
“Books explain people and their motives and
the way they’ve changed throughout time. There’s never been a time in my life when I wasn’t curious
about that.”-Grace McNamee
Grace Mcnamee’s study ofPride and Prejudice takes
her to england.
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academic exploration& advising servicesM110 Student Success Center
573-884-9700
AEAS offers advising for pre-journalism, pre-communication, undecided majors and students in transition needing assistance in
developing academic plans.
Web: aeas.missouri.eduFacebook: Mizzou Academic Exploration
and Advising ServicesTwitter: @MizzouAEAS
academic retentionservices
110 Student Success Center573-882-9208
ARS helps students make the transition to college with services that support students’ academic, social and cultural development.
Web: ars.missouri.eduFacebook: Academic Retention Services
Twitter: MU_ARS_Outreach
Career Center201 Student Success Center
Resources include help with career and major exploration, resumes, interviews and job
searches. The Career Center also offers various outreach programs and career counseling.
Web: career.missouri.eduFacebook: MU Career Center
Twitter: @MUCareerCenter
educational technologies249 Heinkel Building
ET@MO assists instructors in integrating meaningful and innovative forms of
technology into the classroom to improve teaching and learning.
Web: etatmo.missouri.eduTwitter: @MizzouElearning
Campus Writing ProgramConley House573-882-4881
Since 1987, the MU Campus Writing Program has been strengthening
curriculums across the board by supporting Writing Intensive courses.
Web: cwp.missouri.edu
Facebook: University of Missouri Campus Writing Program
Twitter: @mizzouCWP
Honors College211 Lowry Hall573-883-3893
The Honors College provides a close-knit academic community for students to engage in scholarship through research opportunities
and service learning.
Web: honors.missouri.eduFacebook: University of Missouri
Honors CollegeTwitter: @MUHonors
learning Center100 Student Success Center
The Learning Center offers free academic services and tutoring through student-
centered, interactive and effective academic support.
Web: learningcenter.missouri.edu
Fellowships OfficeM128 Student Success Center
The Fellowships Office assists students in identifying and applying for
nationally-competitive fellowships that enhance their education and
post-baccalaureate experiences.
Web: [email protected]: MU Fellowships Office
Twitter: @MU_Fellowships
service learning208 Lowry Hall573-882-0227
Through service to others, students learn valuable lessons about citizenship and are
able to apply their classroom knowledge to real-life situations and opportunities, all while
earning college credit.
Web: servelearn.missouri.eduFacebook: MU Office of
Service Learning
Undergraduate research150 Bond Life Sciences Center
Undergraduate students have the opportunity to gain hands-on research experience with knowledgeable faculty
members.
Web: undergradresearch.missouri.eduFacebook: MU Office of
Undergraduate ResearchTwitter: @ugradresearchMU
Multicultural Certificate58 McReynolds Hall
The MCC prepares students to understand and facilitate cross-cultural interaction in
their future careers as well as in their general life experiences.
Web: multicultural.missouri.eduFacebook: MU Multicultural
Certificate Program
University of MissouriUndergraduate studies
Office of Undergraduate studiesUniversity of Missouri | 128 Jesse Hall | Columbia, MO 65211
www.missouri.edu | Facebook.com/MizzouUndergraduateStudies | Twitter.com/MizzouUGStudiesFor more information on Mizzou Undergraduate studies, visit:
